Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Mouria Yellow’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Mouria Yellow’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; and decorative-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘MOURIA YELLOW’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Mouria Yellow’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely flowering Chrysanthemumplants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in October, 2005 ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Pesaro Yellow’, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Veria’, not patented. Thenew Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollinationin a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium inOctober, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetativecuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment inOostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2007. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemumplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Mouria Yellow’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Mouria Yellow’ as a new and distinctChrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant        habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.    -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray        florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from the female parent, ‘PesaroYellow’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have bright green-colored        leaves whereas plants of ‘Pesaro Yellow’ have dark green-colored        leaves.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower later than plants of        ‘Pesaro Yellow’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from the male parent, ‘Veria’, inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not as vigorous as plants        of ‘Veria’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger leaves than        plants of ‘Veria’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of        ‘Veria’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Yoerica’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.11,842. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke,Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of‘Yoerica’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had glossier and darker        green-colored leaves than plants of ‘Yoerica’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had more leaves than plants        of ‘Yoerica’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of ‘Yoerica’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum plant. This photograph shows the colors as true as itis reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Mouria Yellow’ grownin a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn underconditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 25° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 15° C. to 20° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Mouria Yellow’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Pesaro            Yellow’, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Veria’,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days            at temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days            at temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; compact            plant habit with stems upright and outwardly spreading            giving a uniformly rounded appearance to the plant; very            freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral branches            develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple secondary            branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development;            dense and full plant habit; strong and moderately vigorous            growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 40 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm            to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to            144A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 2.5 cm            to 5 cm. Width: About 1.5 cm to 3 cm. Apex: Rounded to            cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and            serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to            parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to            137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C; venation,            close to 148C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 147B; venation, close to 147B to 147C. Petiole: Length:            About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Slightly pubescent and rough. Color, upper            surface: Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;            inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage; disc and            ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower mid-October in Belgium.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about 35 days in an outdoor nursery;            inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 20 inflorescences develop            per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 cm.            Shape: Globular. Color: Between 144A and 137C.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.5 cm. Depth (height):            About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 mm. Receptacle diameter:            About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 2.5 mm to 3 mm.            Receptacle color: Close to 144B.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 0.7 cm to 1.2 cm. Width: About            4 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 200 arranged in about ten whorls.            Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 12A. When            opening, lower surface: Close to 6A. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 6A; color becoming closer to 4A with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 4A.        -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to            1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices acute. Number of            disc florets per inflorescence: About 30. Color: Apex: Close            to 144C. Mid-section: Close to 5B. Base: Close to 145D.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25            arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.            Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.            Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:            Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 6 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About            8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.            Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:            Not observed.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Mouria Yellow’ asillustrated and described.